


Patch Notes

by JaneTheNya



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29029392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneTheNya/pseuds/JaneTheNya
Summary: Futaba explores a hypothetical.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	Patch Notes

**Author's Note:**

> Another tiny fic I did awhile back and decided to upload.

Futaba shifted in her spot on the bed, still curled tightly into a ball, arms hugging her knees against her chest. She hummed slightly as she hesitated to speak.

“Hey, bro?” she finally squeaked out, wincing as she did. Too late now, she had to say it. Ugh.

The black-haired boy, currently admiring one of her many anime figurines, close, but without touching, glanced back toward her with a sympathetic look in his eyes, as if to prompt her to continue.

She sighed. “If there was another Futaba, who was just like me, but she wasn’t, uh… anxious and weird and bad at socializing, and uh, all that… would you…”

He shook his head preemptively. “Then it wouldn’t be Futaba.” And he smiled weakly, slowly placing a hand on the bed, waiting for her nod of permission to take a seat.

“I know those things are hard, and tough to deal with and all that,” he said, twisting a lock of his black hair between his fingers. “But it’s all a part of who you are. Some newer, better Futaba who didn’t have any of that wouldn’t be you.”

Futaba shook her head, sniffling, smiling sadly. “Yeah, guess not. Guess she’d be better.” She leaned to one side, her balled-up form crashing against the soft mattress. Her brother winced for a second before settling. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

He sighed, smiling. “I don’t think she’d be better. I don’t think anyone else could be. No one else could do what you do.”

She grimaced, tears welling up in her eyes. “Yeah, guess that’s why… that’s why I could even be a Phantom Thief. Cuz I’ve got a special talent.” She pressed her face into the mattress. “And cuz you happened to be staying with Sojiro. So you could find out about me.”

He shrugged. “I can’t deny the fact that your unique skills are helpful, that they’re a part of who you are and why you’re crucial to the team… but they’re not make or break. I mean, look at me.” He shrugged, smiling shyly. “I’m the leader of the phantom thieves, and I’m not special. I got some weird power from some higher being who wants me to do them a favor, I guess. But that’s all just luck. I’m not half as bold as Ryuji, or tough as Makoto, or devoted as Ann, and I’m nowhere near as clever as you.”

She laid there in silence for a bit, until he continued. “Even if you were nothing but your flaws, we would save you, and we would love you, and we’d offer to let you join us on your terms. That’s the facts of it.” He leaned back, against the wall. “And that’s even in an unrealistic scenario. No one is nothing but their flaws,” he said.

And there was silence for awhile. Nothing but the whirr of the computer processor and soft breeze of the fan and the sniffling of the girl.

“I think every member of the Thieves has doubts about their usefulness from time to time.” He chuckled. “Mostly, it’s because they’re comparing themselves to you.” He smiled down at her. "You try to hard, like it's your everything, and everyone admires you for that. A lot of them are even a bit jealous." And he motioned with his head to the door, where Morgana was sleeping just outside.

Futaba smiled meekly and rolled over, finally looking at him now, her glasses falling awkwardly on her face. “I bet there’s a girl out there who’s just as nerdy and quirky as me, and just as good with tech as me, and has a navigator persona, and I bet she’s not a total mess who can’t even go outside on her own.”

Ren simply shrugged. “Maybe,” he admitted. “But she’s not my sister.”


End file.
